The Big Six Playoffs opened up Wednesday night, and the Yellow Grass Wheat Kings, the defending Big Six champions, kicked off a quarterfinal series with the Oxbow Huskies at home. Seven different players would find the back of the net as the Wheat Kings opened the best of three series with an 8-3 victory. 

Yellow Grass opened up the scoring with 8:29 left to play in the first period when Kyle Mryglod found the twine behind Cody Levesque to make it 1-0. The goal was assisted by Zach Douglas and Mike Onstad. Then, with 4:12 to go in the period, Dylan Frey scored an unassisted marker to make it 2-0. 

The Huskies would answer back just seconds later, as Ethan Smith scored with 3:46 remaining in the opening period. He was assisted on the goal by Liam Rutten and Derek Cooney.  

The Wheat Kings would then take over the game, scoring six consecutive goals. 

The flurry of offensive output started with a tally from Douglas with 1:02 on the clock in the first. He was assisted on the goal by Luke Niemegeers and Onstad. Then, in the second period, Braden Mellon made it a 4-1 game, assisted by Tucker Neuberger and Fylan Frey. Mellon’s second of the night, unassisted, was scored 3:10 later to make it 5-1. Before the second period was over, Onstad would score a goal himself with the assists coming from Rhett Frey and Douglas.  

Just 1:27 into the third period Rhett Frey scored a goal of his own, assisted by Douglas. The scoring for the Wheat Kings was rounded out with a goal from Burke Johnstone at the 7:07 mark. He was assisted by Mellon and Dylan Frey. 

The Huskies would score two more goals before the end of the game. Jordan Cooney scored on Nate Ferris with 7:41 to play in the game, assisted by Derek Cooney and Rutten. Another goal from Jordan Cooney 38 seconds later made it the 8-3 final. 

Game two of the best of three series is slated for Friday night in Oxbow. Game three, if necessary, will be played Sunday in Yellow Grass. 

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The Bienfait Coalers, the number seven seed coming into the Big Six playoffs, were looking to take the first game of their best of three series against the Carnduff Red Devils Wednesday night. The Coalers would score a power play goal late in the third to break a 1-1 deadlock and add an empty netter, to skate to a 3-1 victory. 

Taysen Holt opened the scoring for Bienfait at the 7:41 mark of the first period. Kaelan Holt had the assist on the goal. The Red Devils would answer in the second period as Matt Audette tallied at the 6:23 mark of the second. His goal was assisted by Tanner Reynolds and Dan Moriarty. 

In the third period, the Coalers would take advantage of the power play as Taysen Holt scored his second of the game, assisted by Kaelan Holt, to make it 2-1 with 6:40 to play in the third.  

Daniel Wanner added an empty-net goal with just one second left on the clock to make it 3-1.  

Game two of the best of three series is set for Friday night in Bienfait, where the Coalers are hoping home ice will lead them to a first-round upset.